Bengals NFL Draft: Ranking Cincinnati's worst draft picks over the past 10 years feat. John Ross

The Cincinnati Bengals, like other teams, have had a fair share of awful draft selections in the past 10 years. Numerous players have excelled as the best in college only to be drafted into challenging conditions or experience bad luck when they begin their NFL careers.

A few draft selections were misjudgments; some were talented players who were not put in a position to be successful with the organization, while others were just unlucky.

In this article, we look at the worst draft picks the Bengals have made in the last 10 years.

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Listing Bengals' worst draft picks in the last decade

5) OT Jake Fisher - Second round pick (2015)

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Jake Fisher in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He was allowed to leave in free agency after four seasons because of his inconsistent play and failure to meet his pre-draft projections.

The Bengals had high expectations for Fisher going into the draft, believing he would mature into a strong starting tackle, but that didn't pan out. Fisher tried to go to tight end for the team after failing to make the grade as a tackle. But he was unable to gain the necessary bulk and power to be a productive tight end. He also had trouble staying healthy.

Fisher was placed on injured reserve early in his fourth season with the Bengals, so it was an easy decision for the organization to release him.

4) LB Malik Jefferson - Third round pick (2018)

Malik Jefferson was a collegiate standout who kept this defense afloat at every level while playing for the Texas Longhorns. But the linebacker was never able to settle into the professional setting due to numerous injuries and off-field problems.

Jefferson only played 12 games for the Bengals before he was waived. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns before the 2019 regular season, but the Browns cut him just over a month later.

3) OT Cedric Ogbuehi - First round pick (2015)

Cedric Ogbuehi looked like an essential option for the Bengals when they selected him in the first round of the 2015 draft because of the way he performed as an offensive tackle during his senior season in 2014.

Ogbuehi went on to play both right and left tackle for Cincinnati for three inconsistent seasons, participating in just 25 games. After recovering from knee surgery, he only appeared in five games in his rookie season. He struggled in 2016, mostly at right tackle, and made 13 starts at left tackle in 2017.

Ogbuehi was released by Cincinnati after the Bengals rejected his fifth-year option. He didn't play in the NFL much after that.

2) C Billy Price - First round pick (2018)

Billy Price was an offensive lineman who struggled to establish himself in Cincinnati during his first two seasons, in part because of lingering injuries. The Bengals declined his fifth-year option in 2021.

Price started Cincinnati's first two games at center in his debut campaign, but he missed six games due to a foot injury. He never truly recovered his previous level of performance.

Price made 42 appearances with the Bengals, including 18 starts, between 2018 and 2020. In the 2020 offseason, the Bengals chose to trade him to the New York Giants for B.J. Hill rather than cut him, which proved to be a wise decision for Cincinnati.

1) WR John Ross - First round pick (2017)

The Cincinnati Bengals picked wide receiver John Ross with the ninth overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft to inject some explosiveness in their offensive play. But Ross never really accomplished much during his injury-plagued Bengals career.

John Ross could move faster than anyone but struggled to put everything together at the same time. He only managed 733 yards and 10 touchdowns during his four years with the team.

The fifth-year option on Ross's contract was turned down by the Bengals. He got a contract with the New York Giants in 2021, but he didn't really contribute much to the squad either.